Isn't that the truth? We are medical language specialists and should be

• Good working in MT help wanted ad... - SM
  • Isn't that the truth? We are medical language specialists and should be - paid accordingly!
  • Oops, make that "wording"...nm - OP

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That is our title, Medical Language Specialist, which really throws people.  When asked to define what that is, tell them you translate medical dictation to document form, be it hard copy document or electronic docment, to provide pertinent medical information for patients, physicians and hospital staff.  See their reaction.   

Of course when they say "all you do is type," ask them to spell esophagogastroduodenoscopy as an example of the terminology you use.  That usually shuts them up.  (Smile)

hand write their notes on charts or have preset templates for things like procedures that the doctor inserts data into to make a printed report.  My dog sees a dermatologist and it only takes him about 2 minutes to send a note through this latter means to her regular vet, and my cat has seen a gastroenterologist who used a preset template when they did an ultrasound on her abdomen when she sent the report to the regular vet. 

Due to the expense I would say you'd have a better chance of trying to obtain some work through a specialist veterinarian, but I would think it would be a minimal amount of dictation.   Good luck on the search!

8 cpl is about the top out in the US MT industry. If you're making more consider yourself lucky because it just might be snatched away from you at any moment. For the 14 cent per liner, good for you! You went out and got your own accounts. Others should follow your example. As far as the "stupid" MT comment, keep in mind that she was not consistent and **often** had one excuse after another not to work, yet I could see her online and when I would ask her why she was online she would give VERY lame excuses.  Also, keep in mind that I also was the one who helped this gal out monetarily to begin with and she took advantage of my generosity.  Don't make me out to be the bad gal here just because I own a service.  The shoe could easily be on your foot.

So, NEWS FLASH, if you have an MT position that is paying more than 8 cpl, consider it a real blessing and pray that your job isn't outsourced offshore. 

years experience as an MT.  I say misfortune because MTs with this much experience usually have gigantic egos and feel like they've "seen it all and done it all."  They simply don't make mistakes.  Not possible, no way.  This particular MT became irate with me.  She actually threw her 20+ years experience in my face and said "I've been doing this for over 20 years, I think I know what I'm doing!"  It was painfully obvious, she did not have a clue.  She'd been doing it wrong for 20 years and no one ever told her, so she thought she was right.

I had another MT with 10 years experience call me to scream at me and hung up on me when I tried to explain her errors to her.

The plain truth is, some people can't take criticism whether it be constructive or destructive.  They don't like to be wrong or be told their wrong.  Egos get in the way.  We are all guilty of letting our egos get in the way from time to time, but in this field, you need to be willing to admit you're wrong and you need to be able to accept criticism gracefully and give criticism diplomatically.

As an editor, I encourage MTs to let me know if they disagree with any corrections I've made.  I am happy to provide MTs with my reference materials and resources.  I am happy to admit when I am wrong and I am happy to say that I make mistakes too.  Just don't try to tell me that an MT with 16 years experience can't possibly be making terminology mistakes - she can and probably has in the past and will again in the future.

and Tessier's The Surgical Word Book, 3rd edition.  Books you could buy used I would say would be Stedman's Pathology and Lab Medicine and Cardiology/Pulmonary word book.  These are all the books I use the most during my day.  You could buy other speciality word books as you need them and could probably go used with those.

I wouldn't bother with buying a drug book, new editions come out every year and I just stick to the FDA website and RXList as my drug references.

Also FYI, not a book, but I use my Stedman's Electronic Medical Dictationary a lot.  It's easier to open the program than it is to pick up a huge 30-pound dictionary.

Hospitals can set up an account with the AT&T language line.  You call the number, give your account code and tell them what language you need.  They have tons to choose from and they are available in real time.  You have to use a speaker phone so the patient, translator and care provider can all hear each other.  Some 911 dispatch centers use it too. 

"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt

My take is that you are both correct and mistaken.  People with French as their mother tongue can be both challenging and reliable to transcribe in English. The challenging part is the omission of certain sounds that are normal to the English-attuned ear.  The reliable part is that the differences one hears are usually SO predictable.  I belive that with more info I can help you even with your specific problem.